Prof. Pablo Docampo from BCMaterials Spain delivered an invited talk titled "The curious case of hybrid halide perovskites"

October 24, 2025

We were delighted to welcome Prof. Pablo Docampo (BCMaterials, Spain) back to LMU Munich as part of the Joint Colloquium of the Center for NanoScience (CeNS) and the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy. Also, Prof. Docampo became the 10th speaker of the Solar Energy Seminar Series.

Prof. Docampo, who spent several years at LMU Munich’s Department of Physical Chemistry between 2012 and 2016, returned to share his recent research insights on the complex yet fascinating world of hybrid halide perovskites. His seminar, titled “The Curious Case of Hybrid Halide Perovskites”, explored the intricate interplay between ionic motion, structural complexity, and optoelectronic functionality in these materials.

In his talk, Prof. Docampo presented two key research directions from his laboratory. First, he discussed ion migration—traditionally viewed as a source of instability and hysteresis in perovskite devices—and introduced a novel technique termed Stabilise and Pulse (SaP). This method, which combines a stabilising bias with rapid voltage pulses, enables probing of ionic accumulation and interfacial band alignment in working devices, offering new insights into charge extraction and recombination under realistic operating conditions.

In the second part of his presentation, Prof. Docampo delved into the diverse world of layered perovskites, emphasizing their potential to enhance stability and tailor functionality through control of organic–inorganic interactions. He showcased recent progress in growing thin layers of these materials atop standard 3D perovskites, as well as the delicate balance between stability and charge transport. His work also demonstrated how the choice of bulky organic cations can distort or relax the underlying inorganic lattice, offering new avenues for device engineering.

Prof. Docampo received his DPhil in 2012 from the University of Oxford, where he investigated the electronic properties of mesostructured metal oxides in solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells. During his postdoctoral stay with Prof. Thomas Bein at LMU Munich in 2013, he developed his enduring interest in hybrid halide perovskites. He later served as Assistant Professor and Marie Curie Fellow at LMU (2014–2016), obtaining his habilitation in Physical Chemistry.

Following his time at LMU, Prof. Docampo led research groups as Reader in Physics at Newcastle University (2016–2020) and Reader in Chemistry at the University of Glasgow (2020–2025). Currently, at BCMaterials, his research focuses on the Advanced Functional Materials and Surfaces line, aiming to develop low-cost, printable, and recyclable electronics, and ultimately, novel computational materials.

It was a pleasure to host Prof. Docampo once again at LMU Munich and to hear about his pioneering contributions to the understanding and application of perovskite-based materials.